MONSTERS WITH FRIENDLY FACES: Serial Killers Who Blended Seamlessly Into Society

Weird Darkness: Paranormal & True Crime Stories

They were fathers, bakers, business owners… and cold-blooded killers hiding in plain sight.
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IN THIS EPISODE: By all observable accounts, Herb Baumeister was an admire-able family man, living on a beautiful million-dollar estate and farm with his lovely wife and three children. But they were also sharing that estate with a very dark secret that would eventually be revealed thanks to on of their children accidentally stumbling upon the grave of one of Herb’s numerous murder victims. (The Serial Killer Next Door) *** Behind his quiet demeanor lurked a brutal killer. He was eventually caught, but perhaps not brought to complete justice. Though Robert Hansen admitted to murdering seventeen people, one woman most all are sure he murdered is Beth van Zanten – but he insists she was not one of them. (Robert Hansen, The Alaskan Serial Killer) *** He's confessed to a staggering 93 murders thus far—and the FBI believes all his confessions are credible. (Samuel Little, The Prolific Killer) *** Numerous women met a gruesome end on Robert Pickton's isolated pig farm. He confessed to the killing of 49 – but there could be more. (Pickton The Serial Killing Pig Farmer)
ABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.
DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.
CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Lead-In
00:01:25.487 = Show Open
00:03:25.864 = Herb Baumeister
00:19:42.552 = Robert Hansen
00:42:44.926 = Samuel Little
00:50:44.606 = Robert Pickton
00:58:23.001 = Show Close
SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…
“Herb Baumeister: The Serial Killer Next Door” by Orrin Grey for The Line Up: https://tinyurl.com/t6lyqsf
“Robert Hansen: The Alaskan Serial Killer” by Orrin Grey for The Line Up: https://tinyurl.com/rexzkey,https://tinyurl.com/tctkzku
“Samuel Little: America’s Most Prolific Killer” by Orrin Grey for The Line Up: https://tinyurl.com/wq8wasm
“Robert Pickton: The Serial Killer Pig Farmer” by Orrin Grey for The Line Up: https://tinyurl.com/rtu62ze
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"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46
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Originally aired: October 07, 2022
NOTE: Some of this content may have been created with assistance from AI tools, but it has been reviewed, edited, narrated, produced, and approved by Darren Marlar, creator and host of Weird Darkness — who, despite popular conspiracy theories, is NOT an AI voice.
EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/MonstersWithFriendlyFaces